L E V I T I C U S

CHAP. XXII.

In this chapter we have divers laws concerning the
priests and sacrifices all for the preserving of the honour of the
sanctuary. I. That the priests should not eat the holy things in
their uncleanness, ver.
1-9. II. That no stranger who did not belong to some
family of the priests should eat of the holy things (ver. 10-13), and, if he did it
unwittingly, he must make restitution,, ver. 14-16. III. That the sacrifices which
were offered must be without blemish, ver. 17-25. IV. That they must be more
than eight days old (ver.
26-28), and that the sacrifices of thanksgiving must be
eaten the same day they were offered, ver. 29, &c.

Laws Concerning the Priests. (b. c. 1490.)

1 And the Lord
spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto Aaron and to his
sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the
children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in
those things which they hallow unto me: I am the Lord. 3 Say unto them, Whosoever
he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth
unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the
Lord, having his uncleanness upon
him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the
Lord. 4 What man soever of
the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he
shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso
toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a
man whose seed goeth from him; 5 Or whosoever toucheth any
creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he
may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath; 6 The
soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and
shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with
water. 7 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and
shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his
food. 8 That which dieth of itself, or is torn with
beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I
am the Lord. 9 They
shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and
die therefore, if they profane it: I the Lord do sanctify them.

Those that had a natural blemish, though
they were forbidden to do the priests' work, were yet allowed to
eat of the holy things: and the Jewish writers say that "to keep
them from idleness they were employed in the wood-room, to pick out
that which was worm-eaten, that it might not be used in the fire
upon the altar; they might also be employed in the judgment of
leprosy:" but,

I. Those that were under any ceremonial
uncleanness, which possibly they contracted by their own fault,
might no so much as eat of the holy things while they continued in
their pollution. 1. Some pollutions were permanent, as a leprosy or
a running issue, v.
4. These separated the people from the sanctuary, and
God would show that they were so far from being more excusable that
really they were more abominable in a priest. 2. Others were more
transient, as the touching of a dead body, or any thing else that
was unclean, from which, after a certain time, a man was cleansed
by bathing his flesh in water, v. 6. But whoever was thus defiled
might not eat of the holy things, under pain of God's
highest displeasure, who said, and ratified the saying, That
soul shall be cut off from my presence, v. 3. Our being in the presence of God,
and attending upon him, will be so far from securing us that it
will but the more expose us to God's wrath, if we dare to draw nigh
to him in our uncleanness. The destruction shall come from the
presence of the Lord (2 Thess. i.
9), as the fire by which Nadab and Abihu died came
from before the Lord. Thus those who profane the holy word
of God will be cut off by that word which they make so light of; it
shall condemn them. They are again warned of their danger if they
eat the holy thing in their uncleanness (v. 9), lest they bear sin, and die
therefore. Note, (1.) Those contract great guilt who profane
sacred things, by touching them with unhallowed hands. Eating the
holy things signified an interest in the atonement; but, if they
ate of them in their uncleanness, they were so far from lessening
their guilt that they increased it: They shall bear sin.
(2.) Sin is a burden which, if infinite mercy prevent not, will
certainly sink those that bear it: They shall die therefore.
Even priests may be ruined by their pollutions and
presumptions.

II. As to the design of this law we may
observe, 1. This obliged the priests carefully to preserve their
purity, and to dread every thing that would defile them. The holy
things were their livelihood; if they might not eat of them, how
must they subsist? The more we have to lose of comfort and honour
by our defilement, the more careful we should be to preserve our
purity. 2. This impressed the people with a reverence for the holy
things, when they saw the priests themselves separated from
them (as the expression is, v. 2) so long as they were in their
uncleanness. He is doubtless a God of infinite purity who kept his
immediate attendants under so strict a discipline. 3. This teaches
us carefully to watch against all moral pollutions, because by them
we are unfitted to receive the comfort of God's sanctuary. Though
we labour not under habitual deformities, yet actual defilements
deprive us of the pleasure of communion with God; and therefore
he that is washed needeth to wash his feet (John xiii. 10), to wash his
hands, and so to compass the altar, Ps. xxvi. 6. Herein we have need to be jealous
over ourselves, lest (as it is observably expressed here) we
profane God's holy name in those things which we hallow unto
him, v. 2. If we
affront God in those very performances wherein we pretend to honour
him, and provoke him instead of pleasing him, we shall make up but
a bad account shortly; yet thus we do if we profane God's name, by
doing that in our uncleanness which pretends to be hallowed to
him.

10 There shall no stranger eat of the
holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall
not eat of the holy thing. 11 But if the priest buy
any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is
born in his house: they shall eat of his meat. 12 If the
priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may
not eat of an offering of the holy things. 13 But if the
priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and
is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat
of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.
14 And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly,
then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall
give it unto the priest with the holy thing. 15 And
they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel,
which they offer unto the Lord;
16 Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when
they eat their holy things: for I the Lord do sanctify them.

The holy things were to be eaten by the
priests and their families. Now,

I. Here is a law that no stranger should
eat of them, that is, no person whatsoever but the priests only,
and those that pertained to them, v. 10. The priests are charged with
this care, not to profane the holy things by permitting the
strangers to eat of them (v.
15) or suffer them to bear the iniquity of
trespass (v.
16); that is, suffer them to bring guilt upon
themselves, by meddling with that which they have no right to. Thus
it is commonly understood. Note, We must not only be careful that
we do not bear iniquity ourselves, but we must do what we can to
prevent others bearing it. We must not only not suffer sin to
lie upon our brother, but, if we can help it, we must not
suffer it to come upon him. But perhaps there is another
meaning of those words: the priests' eating the sin-offerings is
said to signify their bearing the iniquity of the congregation,
to make an atonement for them, ch. x. 17. Let not a stranger
therefore eat of that holy thing particularly, and so pretend to
bear the iniquity of trespass; for it is daring presumption
for any to do that, but such as are appointed to do it. Those that
set up other mediators besides Christ our priest, to bear the
iniquity of trespass, sacrilegiously rob Christ of his honour,
and invade his rights. When we warn people not to trust to their
own righteousness, nor dare to appear before God in it, but to rely
on Christ's righteousness only for peace and pardon, it is because
we dare not suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass,
for we know it is too heavy for them.

II. Here is an explanation of the law,
showing who were to be looked upon as belonging to the priest's
family, and who not. 1. Sojourners and hired servants abode not in
the house for ever; they were in the family, but not of it; and
therefore they might not eat of the holy things (v. 10): but the servant that was born in the
house or bought with money, being a heirloom to the family, though
a servant, yet might eat of the holy things, v. 11. Note, Those only are entitled
to the comforts of God's house who make it their rest for
ever, and resolve to dwell in it all the days of their
life. As for those who for a time only believe, to serve a
present turn. They are looked upon but as sojourners and
mercenaries, and have no part nor lot in the matter. 2. As
to the children of the family, concerning the sons there could be
no dispute, they were themselves priests, but concerning the
daughters there was a distinction. While they continued in their
father's house they might eat of the holy things; but, if they
married such as were not priests, they lost their right (v. 12), for now they were cut
off from the family of the priests. Yet if a priest's daughter
became a widow, and had no children in whom she might preserve a
distinct family, and returned to her father's house again, being
neither wife nor mother, she should again be looked upon as a
daughter, and might eat of the holy things. If those whom
Providence has made sorrowful widows, and who are dislodged from
the rest they had in the house of a husband, yet find it again in a
father's house, they have reason to be thankful to the widows' God,
who does not leave them comfortless. 3. Here is a demand of
restitution to be made by him that had no right to the holy things,
and yet should eat of them unwittingly, v. 14. If he did it presumptuously,
and in contempt of the divine institution, he was liable to be cut
off by the hand of God, and to be beaten by the magistrate; but, if
he did it through weakness in inconsideration, he was to restore
the value, adding a fifth part to it, besides which he was to bring
an offering to atone for the trespass; see ch. v. 15, 16.

III. This law might be dispensed with in a
case of necessity, as it was when David and his men ate of the
show-bread, 1 Sam. xxi. 6.
And our Saviour justifies them, and gives a reason for it, which
furnishes us with a lasting rule in all such cases, that God
will have mercy and not sacrifice, Matt. xii. 3, 4, 7. Rituals must give way
to morals.

IV. It is an instruction to gospel
ministers, who are stewards of the mysteries of God, not to
admit all, without distinction, to eat of the holy things,
but to take out the precious from the vile. Those that are
scandalously ignorant or profane are strangers and aliens to the
family of the Lord's priests; and it is not meet to take the
children's bread and to cast it to such. Holy things are for holy
persons, for those who are holy, at least, in profession, Matt. vii. 6.

Laws Concerning Sacrifices. (b. c. 1490.)

17 And the Lord
spake unto Moses, saying, 18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his
sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them,
Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers
in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for
all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the Lord for a burnt offering; 19 Ye
shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the
beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. 20 But
whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it
shall not be acceptable for you. 21 And whosoever offereth a
sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord to accomplish his vow, or a freewill
offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted;
there shall be no blemish therein. 22 Blind, or broken, or
maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer
these unto the Lord, nor make an
offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord. 23 Either a bullock or a lamb that
hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest
thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall
not be accepted. 24 Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or
broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof
in your land. 25 Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye
offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their
corruption is in them, and blemishes be in
them: they shall not be accepted for you. 26 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 27
When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it
shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and
thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto
the Lord. 28 And whether
it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in
one day. 29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of
thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer
it at your own will. 30 On the same day it shall be
eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am
the Lord. 31 Therefore shall
ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the Lord. 32 Neither shall ye profane my holy
name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I
am the Lord which hallow you,
33 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your
God: I am the Lord.

Here are four laws concerning
sacrifices:—

I. Whatever was offered in sacrifice to God
should be without blemish, otherwise it should not be accepted.
This had often been mentioned in the particular institutions of the
several sorts of offerings. Now here they are told what was to be
accounted a blemish which rendered a beast unfit for sacrifice: if
it was blind, or lame, had a wen, or the mange (v. 22),—if it was bruised, or
crushed, or broken, or cut (v.
24), that is, as the Jewish writers understand it, if it
was, in any of these ways, castrated, if bulls and rams were made
into oxen and weathers, they might not be offered. Moreover a
difference is made between what was brought as a free-will offering
and what was brought as a vow, v. 23. And, though none that had any
of the forementioned blemishes might be brought for either, yet if
a beast had any thing superfluous or lacking (that is, as the Jews
understand it, if there was a disproportion or inequality between
those parts that are pairs, when one eye, or ear, or leg, was
bigger than it should be, or less than it should be)—if there was
no other blemish than this, it might be accepted for a free-will
offering, to which a man had not before laid himself, nor had the
divine law laid him, under any particular obligation; but for a vow
it might not be accepted. Thus God would teach us to make
conscience of performing our promises to him very exactly, and not
afterwards to abate in quantity or value of what we had solemnly
engaged to devote to him. What was, before the vow, in our own
power, as in the case of a free-will offering, afterwards is not,
Acts v. 4. It is again and
again declared that no sacrifice should be accepted if it was thus
blemished, v. 20,
21. According to this law great care was taken to search
all the beasts that were brought to be sacrificed, that there
might, to a certainty, be no blemish in them. A blemished sacrifice
might not be accepted even from the hand of a stranger,
though to such all possible encouragement should be given to do
honour to the God of Israel, v.
25. By this it appears that strangers were expected to
come to the house of God from a far country (1 Kings viii. 41, 42), and that
they should be welcome, and their offerings accepted, as those of
Darius, Ezra vi. 9, 10;
Isa. lvi. 6, 7. The heathen priests were many of them
not so strict in this matter, but would receive sacrifices for
their gods that were ever so scandalous; but let strangers know
that the God of Israel would not be so served. Now, 1. This law was
then necessary for the preserving of the honour of the sanctuary,
and of the God that was there worshipped. It was fit that every
thing that was employed for his honour should be the best of the
kind; for, as he is the greatest and brightest, so he is the best
of beings; and he that is the best must have the best. See how
greatly and justly displeasing the breach of this law was to the
holy God, Mal. i. 8, 13,
14. 2. This law made all the legal sacrifices the fitter
to be types of Christ, the great sacrifice from which all these
derived their virtue. In allusion to this law, he is said to be
a Lamb without blemish and without spot, 1 Pet. i. 19. As such a priest, so
such a sacrifice, became us, who was harmless and undefiled. When
Pilate declared, I find no fault in this man, he did thereby
in effect pronounce the sacrifice without blemish. The Jews say it
was the work of the sagan, or suffragan, high priest, to view the
sacrifices, and see whether they were without blemish or no; when
Christ suffered, Annas was in that office; but little did those who
brought Christ to Annas first, by whom he was sent bound to
Caiaphas, as a sacrifice fit to be offered (John xviii. 13, 24), think that they were
answering the type of this law. 3. It is an instruction to us to
offer to God the best we have in our spiritual sacrifices. If our
devotions are ignorant, and cold, and trifling, and full of
distractions, we offer the blind, and the lame, and the sick,
for sacrifice; but cursed be the deceiver that does so, for,
while he thinks to put a cheat upon God, he puts a damning cheat
upon his own soul.

II. That no beast should be offered in
sacrifice before it was eight days old, v. 26, 27. It was provided before
that the firstlings of their cattle, which were to be dedicated to
God, should not be brought to him till after the eighth day,
Exod. xxii. 30. Here it is
provided that no creature should be offered in sacrifice till it
was eight days old complete. Sooner than that it was not fit to be
used at men's tables, and therefore not a God's altar. The Jews
say, "It was because the sabbath sanctifies all things, and nothing
should be offered to God till at least one sabbath had passed over
it." It was in conformity to the law of circumcision, which
children were to receive on the eighth day. Christ was sacrificed
for us, not in his infancy, though then Herod sought to slay him,
but in the prime of his time.

III. That the dam and her young should not
both be killed in one day, whether in sacrifice or for common use,
v. 28. There is such
a law as this concerning birds, Deut.
xxii. 6. This was forbidden, not as evil in itself, but
because it looked barbarous and cruel to the brute creatures; like
the tyranny of the king of Babylon, that slew Zedekiah's sons
before his eyes, and then put out his eyes. It looked ill-natured
towards the species to kill two generations at once, as if one
designed the ruin of the kind.

IV. That the flesh of their thank-offerings
should be eaten on the same day that they were sacrificed,
v. 29, 30. This
is a repetition of what we had before, ch. vii. 15; xix. 6, 7. The
chapter concludes with such a general charge as we have often met
with, to keep God's commandments, and not to profane his
holy name, v. 31,
32. Those that profess God's name, if they do not make
conscience of keeping his commandments, do but profane his name.
The general reasons are added: God's authority over them—I am
the Lord; his interest in them—I am your God; the title
he had to them by redemption—"I brought you out of the land of
Egypt, on purpose that I might be your God;" the designs of his
grace concerning them—I am the Lord that hallow you; and
the resolutions of his justice, if he had not honour from them, to
get himself honour upon them—I will be hallowed among
the children of Israel. God will be a loser in his glory by no
man at last; but sooner or later will recover his right, either in
the repentance of sinners or in their ruin.